


Thursday's Child

by in_the_bottle



Category: Dr Who - Fandom, Torchwood
Genre: Crossover, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-07-12
Updated: 2009-07-12
Packaged: 2017-11-02 04:58:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/365234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/in_the_bottle/pseuds/in_the_bottle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>"Thursday's child has far to go"</i><br/>aka<br/>Timelord Ianto Fic</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thursday's Child

**Author's Note:**

> This started out as a comment fic for [](http://miss-zedem.livejournal.com/profile)[**miss_zedem**](http://miss-zedem.livejournal.com/)'s "The great plot device drabble commentathon" more than a year ago now, and just grew into this monster. It's all her fault. And yeah, it took a while to finish and get it beta'd…

Jack buttoned up his coat as he got out of the SUV. The car park was empty apart from Ianto's Audi parked right next to the entrance. The wind blowing into his face was strong and cold, and if the clouds in the distance were anything to go by, rain was not far behind either.

Making his way down the well worn dirt path, Jack ignored the incredulous looks the locals gave him, including the well meant warning of: "You’ll get blown away!" from an old lady.

Even in the middle of winter, the view of Rhossili Bay was amazing. There was a couple in the distance, huddled together for warmth as their dog ran free. Jack ignored them when he spotted Ianto at the edge of the cliff looking towards Worm’s Head, standing firm against the wind that was threatening to blow Jack off his feet.

"Nice spot you found here,” Jack said casually. His coat flapped around him. “Very…airy."

Ianto shrugged, still staring out at the sea. Jack couldn’t read his expression, but there was something strange in his eyes. Or maybe something vaguely familiar.

"Could’ve just called," Ianto said.

"I did."

"Reception’s rubbish out here," Ianto said. He sighed and lowered his head. "What do you want me to say?"

"What do I – '" Jack trailed off, amazed at what he was hearing. "For one thing, an explanation would be nice."

"I guess disappearing without notice is more your forte than mine," Ianto retorted. The bitterness in his tone took Jack by surprise.

"Ianto?"

"I resented him, did you know that?" Ianto finally turned around to face Jack. "The Doctor."

"What’s the Doctor got to do with any of this?"

Ianto didn’t answer. Instead, he reached into his coat pocket and took out his pocket watch. It was broken in half, the back of the timepiece had fallen off to reveal an intricate design with a second watch-face that had Jack reeling in recognition.

"You recognise it." It wasn’t a question.

When Jack looked into Ianto’s eyes this time, he knew what the difference was: knowledge.

"Who are you?" Jack asked, his throat suddenly dry. He'd just lost Tosh and Owen, and now Ianto was–

"Ianto Jones," Ianto said.

Jack shook his head. "You can’t be." He'd seen Professor Yana's transformation; the knowledge, the _personality_ in the fob watch wouldn't allow a surface identity to remain. If the man standing before him was a Time Lord, then the Ianto Jones he knew was gone. Jack clenched his fists. His nails bit into his palms as he fought to remain calm.

"But I am," Ianto insisted. He looked at Jack with a fierce determination so familiar it made Jack’s heart ache. "Jack, I'm still the same person I was before, just…"

"Different?"

"No, not different." Ianto shook his head. "More complicated."

Jack raised his eyebrows in question.

"When the Time War started, my biological parents brought me here to Earth. They found a childless couple, my parents, to adopt me and the only thing they left with me was this watch." Ianto looked down to the broken watch still resting in his hand. "Tad gave it to me on my eighteenth birthday and told me that it was a family heirloom. He conveniently left out the fact that it wasn’t the Jones family he was referring to."

"What was in it?" Jack asked.

"Memories."

"Of the war?"

"Among other things, yes." Ianto closed his fingers around the watch and slid it into his coat pocket, staring out at the bay once more. "And the earliest childhood memories on a planet that no longer exists."

Jack did the only thing he could; he closed the distance between them and pulled Ianto to him. "I’m sorry."

Ianto didn’t give in at first, but soon he was clinging to Jack like he'd never let go. Jack had to strain over the howl of the wind to hear the words murmured into the folds of his coat.

"I’m not even human."

Jack snorted. "As if that makes a difference to me. As long as you haven’t turned into an evil mastermind wanting to take over the universe, I don’t care if you suddenly sprout tentacles. Come to think of it, that could actually be fun." Jack smiled to himself. Ianto let out a small chuckle.

"Jack, I don’t know what to do," he said. He sounded much younger than Jack had ever heard before. After all they'd been through, Jack often forgot just how young Ianto actually was.

A sheep baaed from somewhere nearby and a gust of wind almost knocked them both off balance. Sighing, Jack reluctantly relinquished his hold.

"Why don’t we find somewhere warmer and more comfortable while we figure it out?"

* * *

Ianto fell into a light doze as soon as he’d strapped himself into the passenger seat of the SUV. The world blurred. The storm clouds finally moved in, and it began to rain.

The sound of his name jerked him from his slumber. The rain was still pouring down and the sky was now completely dark. They were at the edge of the city.

"Home?" Jack asked.

Ianto shook his head. "No. Back to the Hub." He needed the distraction.

Jack nodded. Nothing more was said until Ianto suddenly found himself with an armful of concerned Gwen Cooper-Williams. He wasn't even sure when they got back to the Hub or what he’d said to Gwen, but whatever it was must have reassured her. She let him go.

_Blood everywhere as she was mauled by a weevil; laughter as she waved to her children (twins) going around on the merry-go-round down the bay on a sunny summer afternoon; shot in the line of duty as her partner desperately tried to staunch the flow of blood staining her uniform red; romantic candlelit dinner with Rhys in a life untainted by Torchwood…._

Ianto was grateful when Jack finally told Gwen to go home to Rhys. Everything was fine.

Ianto shook his head. It didn’t clear his mind. He made his way down to the kitchenette and turned on the coffee machine.

Jack was already in his office when the coffee was ready. Ianto placed Jack's mug on the desk. He held on to his own and took a seat opposite Jack.

Jack didn't touch the coffee. The steam rose between them. "Are you all right?" he finally asked, sounding a little hesitant.

Ianto didn't blame him. If their positions were reversed, Ianto wasn't sure how he'd react either. He settled on the old and familiar. "I'm fine."

Jack raised an eyebrow at him, clearly not believing it. "You're about this close to falling apart and I'm not letting that happen. Not on my watch." The protectiveness in Jack's voice was startling. Maybe Ianto shouldn't have been surprised; Jack had always been protective of his people. "Ianto, look at me, please."

Ianto opened his eyes – when had he closed them? – to find Jack crouched down before him, concerned.

The seconds slowly ticked by, Ianto wasn't sure if he were going crazy or if it were normal, but it was as though he could feel Time inside his bones, in every cell of his body. If he concentrated, he could actually _see_ time, like a mighty river stretching out to infinity, streams and little creeks splitting from the main source before eventually running dry or winding back to rejoin the river; endless possibilities. Afraid of losing himself in his mind, he focused on the solid and familiar presence of Jack beside him, and suddenly, the world around him was clear once more, all the streams and creek converging into a central point of focus where everything made sense again.

"Am I…" Jack paused. "Am I hurting you? By being here?" He looked as though it physically pained him to say those words.

Ianto's confusion must have shown on his face because Jack continued. "It's just, when I was with the Doctor, he said something. He said that I felt…wrong."

"Wrong," Ianto repeated, still not understanding.

"That I was wrong."

Carefully Ianto put his still hot mug of coffee on Jack's desk, reaching out, he cupped Jack's face in his hands, Jack's skin was warm, almost hot to his touch. He leaned down to kiss him. Time, everything, was clear and still and pristine. How could this be wrong?

"The Doctor's an idiot," Ianto murmured breathless minutes later, resting their foreheads together. "You're an even bigger idiot for listening to him."

Jack chuckled, and Ianto could feel the other man relax with the laugh. "Resented him, huh?"

Ianto let out a sigh, pulling Jack up and somehow, Jack ended up sitting on Ianto's lap. Ianto held him close, welcoming the physical contact. "No, not any more. Now, I think I pity him."

"Oh?"

"You're not wrong," Ianto shook his head. "You're the farthest thing from wrong that I can think of, and I pity him for not seeing that. You're the only thing, the only one who's _right_ , who makes sense to me. Everything else is just…" Ianto trailed off, not quite sure how to describe what he was feeling, seeing.

Jack hugged Ianto closer and Ianto gave in, burying his face in Jack's shirt. "It's like I can feel it, the Earth rotating under my feet, all of Time, flowing through everything, the infinite possibilities. I feel like I'm going crazy."

"You're not," Jack sounded so certain. "That's how it is for Time Lords. I wish I could tell you more, but the Doctor never talked much about his people and I never asked. We should probably call Martha. She could get in touch with the Doctor. He'd be able to help."

"No." Ianto wasn't sure he was ready to let anyone see him in this state, not even Gwen, much less someone like the Doctor, who Jack held in such high regard.

"Ianto – "

"Not yet, I just need… "

"Twenty-four hours. That's all I'm going to give you."

"Jack," Ianto protested.

"No. You need help, and like it or not, he's literally the only one in the entire universe who knows how." Jack paused, slowly untangling himself from Ianto's arms. "Besides, I have a feeling he'd turn up anyway, it's just a matter of time."

* * *

Jack kept watch as Ianto slept, both of them pressed up close against each other on Jack's small bed. He could feel the twin heartbeats in Ianto's chest, and if Jack had had any doubts about Ianto's claims before, that convinced him.

Time Lord. Ianto was a _Time Lord_. Jack's brain was still trying to come to terms with that rather surprising revelation. Legends and stories of Gallifrey were familiar childhood tales to him, their great civilisation and adventures, Jack's own experience with the Doctor only served to reinforce the image of the mighty race; Ianto was meant for greater things.

When the Doctor turned up, Jack was sure he'd take Ianto under his wing, show him the universe, and Jack would lose Ianto. He wasn't selfish enough to deny Ianto what was essentially his birthright. There were so many things the Doctor could teach Ianto, none of which Jack could offer, not anymore. He really would understand if Ianto chose to go with the Doctor. Besides, they would probably see each other again. The universe really wasn't that big when it came down to it.

As though hearing Jack’s thoughts, Ianto stirred in his arms, snuggling closer. Jack tightened his hold on him and closed his eyes. He would have to move on, just like he always did. Only this time, he wasn't sure if he could, or even wanted to.

He had just drifted into a light sleep when the alarms in the Hub went off. By the time Jack got his shirt back on, Ianto was already dressed and halfway up the ladder with a gun in hand.

The scene that greeted Jack made him stumble. Ianto was pointing his gun at the Doctor, who had one hand raised in surrender, the other aiming his sonic-screwdriver at a computer terminal. He was staring in wide-eyed shock.

When he saw Jack, his stance relaxed a fraction. Jack strolled up to the computer to shut off the alarm, not asking Ianto to lower his gun.

"Jack." The Doctor sounded tense.

"You know him?" Ianto asked Jack, not taking his eyes off the Doctor. He sounded strained. It seemed to be taking a lot of effort for him to keep his eyes on the Doctor.

Jack frowned. "Yeah." Ianto turned his gaze away, as though he couldn't bear to look at the intruder any longer.

"You could've knocked, you know," Jack said to the Doctor. He kept a watchful eye on Ianto.

The Doctor shrugged, slipping his sonic screwdriver back into his coat pocket. "Well, you know me. Where's the fun in that?"

Ianto coughed. "Not getting shot for breaking in?"

Jack laughed. "He's got a point."

The Doctor turned his attention to Ianto and frowned. Ianto shifted, the attention clearly making him uncomfortable.

"Doctor, why don't we step into my office?"

When the Doctor didn't move, Jack grabbed his arm.

"Jack," the Doctor protested, but didn't resist. Jack dragged the Doctor into his office.

"What are you doing here?" Jack asked as he took a seat behind his desk, getting straight to the point. He already knew the answer to the question, but it never hurt to get confirmation.

"You know what I'm doing here," the Doctor replied. "Or at least I hope you do, because if you don't, then you're really not very good at your job, which is a bit of a worry, really, come to think of it."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Still the same, I see."

"You have a Time Lord out there," the Doctor said seriously, pointing towards the Hub. "And if what I'm seeing is right, a very young one at that. I need to know how you came across him."

"How I came across him?"

"Yes! How is it that he ended up here, pointing a gun at my head!"

"That young man out there whom you just met is Ianto Jones," Jack said, knowing full well Ianto was going to shoot him for divulging personal information to someone Ianto had just hours ago claimed he resented, but Jack took comfort in the fact that he had Ianto's wellbeing in mind. Besides, it was the _Doctor._ "He's been working for Torchwood for a few years, and until recently, was a hundred percent human."

The Doctor blinked. "Human? How?"

"You're asking _me_?" Jack asked, incredulous.

"He's barely an adult, if what you said is true, he must have…" The Doctor trailed off, looking alarmed.

"He said his biological parents put him up to be adopted as a child. He grew up in Cardiff."

The Doctor shook his head in disbelief and horror. "To put a child through that – the chameleon circuit wasn't meant to be used on anyone younger than a _hundred_ , how could they put a child through it?"

"Desperation."

Jack looked up to see Ianto standing at the door, a tray with two steaming mugs in his hands. The familiar smell of Ianto's coffee filled Jack's office as Ianto carefully placed one mug each in front of Jack and the Doctor.

Doctor stared as Ianto disappeared out of Jack's office. "He just found out that he's changed species and he's making coffee."

"It's Ianto," Jack shrugged. As far as he was concerned, that answered the question.

"Right." The Doctor looked at Jack, a little disbelieving, then he frowned.

"What?"

"You – " The Doctor put on his glasses – which Jack was pretty sure he didn't need – leaned across the table, and squinted at Jack. "Aged. How…?"

Jack's breath caught in his throat.

The Doctor stopped scrutinising Jack and leaned back again, a touch of softness falling across his features. "I'm sorry. How did it happen?"

"You're not the only one with a time machine, you know." Jack tried to make light of the situation, but he was sure the Doctor wasn't buying it. To be completely honest, he would rather not talk about what happened, and the Doctor, for once, seemed to have noticed his feelings on the topic.

"So, Ianto Jones. He seems to be coping well." The Doctor changed the topic, and Jack felt himself relaxed.

"Working for Torchwood helps, I guess. Always expect the unexpected."

"And he doesn't seem to like me. Why doesn't he like me? Everyone likes me!" Jack had to stop himself from laughing at the Doctor's sudden mood shift, now sounding like a petulant child. Instead, he picked up his coffee and hid his smile behind the mug.

"Everyone? You sure about that?"

The Doctor opened his mouth to speak, paused, and then snapped it shut again without uttering a single word, glaring at Jack.

Jack smirked at the Doctor before turning serious again. "I think you and Ianto need to have a talk."

* * *

Ianto heard the footsteps approaching as he rinsed out the coffee pot. From the lighter rhythm of the steps, he knew it wasn't Jack, which left the Doctor. Done with the pot, Ianto busied himself with wiping down the already clean and tidy kitchenette area, trying to delay the inevitable.

"I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm the Doctor."

"I know," Ianto replied, wiping the small counter top with a damp cloth. The polite thing to do would be to make eye contact with the Doctor as he spoke; his mam would be mortified at his lack of manners, but Ianto really couldn't bring himself to look at the other Time Lord.

"Ianto, is it?"

"That would be my name, yes," he rinsed off the cloth, before using it to wipe down the coffee maker, his back towards the Doctor.

"Why won't you look at me?"

"Because looking at you makes me feel as if I'm going to throw up and my head explode."

"Oh," the Doctor sounded like he was surprised by Ianto's reply. "That's a first."

"Must be a novelty for you then."

Ianto could make out the Doctor's raised eyebrows from the reflection on the coffee machine; he quickly averted his eyes. Even looking at the Doctor's reflection was making his head throb; the proximity really didn't help either.

Ianto closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths before finally turning to face the Doctor. He hated appearing weak in front of the Doctor, but he couldn't help his reactions to the other Time Lord.

Time itself seemed to both flow through and _bend_ around the Doctor, going off in all sorts of different directions, doubling back, disappearing, running parallel, all the streams, rivers, creek weaving in and out, over and under, and generally just all over the place in no pattern that Ianto could determine.

It was Chaos.

"Ianto?"

Ianto could hear the Doctor's voice, but it sounded distant. All he could see, all he could feel was the Chaos, slowly drawing him into its web. His head was pounding, but he couldn't look away.

"Ianto!"

A familiar voice, strong grip on his shoulders. Solid, familiar presence he recognised plainly as _Jack_. Ianto felt his own hands clutching onto Jack's, and he took a huge gasp of air, like a drowning man finally breaking through to the water's surface.

"Look at me. Ianto, look at me."

Ianto obeyed without hesitation. Jack's blue eyes looked back at him, the worry clear in his gaze. Ianto could feel himself calming down, he didn't care that he was practically being held up by Jack in front of the Doctor, just that Jack was here, his stillness – for the lack of a better term – surrounding Ianto and keeping the Chaos at bay.

"What happened?" Jack demanded, but he wasn't talking to Ianto. He was talking to the Doctor and he sounded upset. A small part of Ianto felt viciously pleased at Jack's tone.

"I don't know! We were talking, he wouldn't look at me at first, then when he finally did, he just… Oh!" At the edge of his vision, Ianto saw the Doctor slap his forehead with the palm of his hand. "Stupid stupid stupid! I should've seen this! I'm so thick! How could I've been so _thick_?"

"Care to share?"

"You said his parents sent him to Earth when he was a child?" the Doctor asked.

"Yeah, so?"

"You know how Time Lords could sense time? See time? We are born with this ability, but they aren't fully developed in children. As we grow older, our senses grow stronger and we grow more adept at it. If he was sent here as a child, as a _human_ child…to suddenly be able to sense time fully – " the Doctor trailed off, the implications clear.

"Can you help him?"

"I can try."

Ianto felt the Doctor slowly moving closer, as if afraid of startling Ianto with a wrong move.

"Ianto?"

Ianto was not making the mistake of looking at the Doctor again and he was not letting go of Jack either, not with the Doctor so close.

"Ianto?" Jack's tone was gentle. "Let the Doctor help."

"I can't." Ianto shook his head.

"You don't have to look at me. I just need you to let me into your mind. I can help you block most of this out. Temporarily, until your brain learns how to cope with the information," the Doctor explained.

Into his _mind_? There was no way Ianto was letting someone like the Doctor into his head. While Jack may trust the Doctor, Ianto didn't. And other than Jack, Ianto was the only one who knew all the codes to for Torchwood, knew the contents of the archives and how to find them. Not even Jack knew his way around the files and archives as well as Ianto.

The alarm he felt must have shown on his face because the next thing he knew, both the Doctor and Jack were trying to reassure him. Ianto would've found the situation funny if not for the rising nausea.

"Look, anything you don't want me to see, just picture a closed door and put whatever it is behind the door, and I won't go near it," the Doctor assured him.

"You'll probably find nothing but doors then," Ianto muttered, making Jack laugh.

"Whatever you're comfortable with, you have my word that I won't pry."

Despite Ianto's reluctance, the logical part of him knew that something had to be done. While he had always enjoyed Jack's company, clinging on to the other man desperately for the rest of his life really wasn't an option. Ianto needed to learn how to control this new sense of his, and it seemed the only way to accomplish that involved the Doctor poking around in his head.

Ianto let out a resigned sigh, and closed his eyes. "Fine, do it."

"Focus on Jack if that makes it better," the Doctor said.

Ianto could feel the Time Lord's unfamiliar touch on his temple and face. The Chaos was so close; Ianto could feel himself losing touch with reality once more as it moved in even closer.

"Ianto, listen to me." Jack's voice. Strong, reassuring. "Ignore the Doctor, just listen to my voice. Whatever's in your head you don't want the Doctor to see, close the door to it. Just relax and focus on me, right here."

“You’ve had some psychic training,” the Doctor commented.

“Standard Torchwood One training,” Jack answered for Ianto.

“Good. Even just knowing the basics would make things easier,” the Doctor replied.

Ianto could feel a slight tingle at the back of his mind, the Doctor, and as the seconds ticked by, it felt as though someone was slowly pulling a veil across his eyes.

The river of Time that was previously rushing through his senses now felt like a dull trickle. The Chaos that Ianto had associated with the Doctor was also now muted, manageable.

The Doctor was slowly withdrawing from Ianto's mind. Just before he completely retreated, something in Ianto made him mentally threw open one of the doors that was previously closed, wanting to see how the Doctor would react.

Sudden gasp, and the hands on his temple and face withdrew suddenly. Ianto opened his eyes to see a blush slowly appearing on the Doctor's cheeks.

"Ianto?"

At the sound of his name, Ianto turned to look at Jack, who was still holding onto him. The smirk on Jack's face told Ianto that Jack had correctly guessed what Ianto had let the Doctor stumble across.

"You!" The Doctor pointed a finger at Jack, still blushing. "Are a bad influence!"

Jack's smirk only got wider.

Getting up on his feet, Jack pulled Ianto up, the Doctor following suit.

Ianto realised he no longer felt like throwing up whenever he looked at the Doctor.

"Don't go celebrating yet," the Doctor warned. "This is only a temporary solution. Ianto, you'll need to learn how to control it, or we'll just end up back at square one." The Doctor looked at Jack. "We'll need somewhere quiet. I'd use the TARDIS but I'm not sure exposing Ianto to her particular brand of temporal field is a good idea at this time."

Jack nodded. "You can use my office."

* * *

Jack watched in fond amusement as an over-energetic Doctor dragged a reluctant, and rather cranky Ianto into the TARDIS. For the last two days, the blue police box was parked in its usual spot: in front of the water tower, opposite the Millennium Centre.

Jack could understand Ianto's mood. Ianto had spent the last couple of days undergoing a crash course in Time-sense control. It had given Ianto a massive headache, but he could now manage the extra information his brain was receiving without the threat of passing out or throwing up.

Jack made his way towards the ship at a much slower pace, giving the last two Time Lords some time to themselves in the TARDIS. Jack wasn't sure what happened between the two of them while stuck in the Hub, but Jack was pleased to see that Ianto's animosity towards the Doctor seemed to have diminished.

The sound of his mobile phone ringing snapped Jack out of his musings.

"Everything's still quiet, Gwen." Jack answered without even looking at the caller ID.

"How did you know it was me?" Gwen sounded genuinely surprised.

"You've been calling every three to four hours to check up on us. According to my watch, you were due to call right about now," Jack answered with a smile.

"And here I am, thinking I was being subtle about the whole thing." Gwen sighed.

Jack laughed. "No Weevils, no alien invasions, no end of the world. Ianto's dealing with some personal issues, but he's ok and I'm keeping an eye on the monitors. Stop worrying and enjoy your time off."

"Fine then. After two days, even I could take a hint. I have another day off?"

"Yep."

"In that case, don't call me unless the world is ending. I have a date with my husband to plan."

"Have fun!"

"Bye!"

Jack rang off with a chuckle at Gwen's excitement.

His smile faded as he approached the TARDIS. Jack could make out the familiar hum of the engines, and slightly muffled voices coming through the open door. Jack didn't step inside. Instead, he reached out and let his fingers rest on the wooden surface of the police box, closing his eyes.

Jack could almost feel the pulse of the TARDIS underneath his fingers, the familiarity sent a wave of long buried memories rushing through him. Laughter, dancing, running, space, stars, Bad Wolf, the golden girl; _Rose_. All of it hit him so hard that Jack, for a moment, struggled to breathe. Through the long years of darkness, he had almost forgotten how Rose looked like. How could he have forgotten?

Lost in his thoughts, Jack didn't hear his name being called until a touch on his arm startled him enough to drag him back to reality. He opened his eyes and found Ianto looking worriedly at him, the Doctor hovering behind the younger man.

"Sorry." Jack smiled at Ianto, aiming for reassurance, but from the looks of things, it wasn't working quite as well as Jack had hoped. "Was miles away, didn't hear you."

"Miles? Or years?" Ianto asked.

Jack took a deep breath. "Both," he said softly, looking away from Ianto.

Ianto's grip on his arm tightened a little before he let go of Jack and took a step back.

"So," Jack mentally braced himself, looking at Ianto and the Doctor. "When should I expect you back?"

* * *

Ianto knew he was staring rather idiotically at Jack, but his mind, while now able to cope better with the lesser input from his newly awaken sense, could not make head or tails of what Jack asked.

"Was I going somewhere?"

Jack blinked.

Realisation dawned. "You expected me to go with him, didn't you?"

Jack blinked some more at Ianto. "You're not?"

Ianto rolled his eyes and let out a sigh. Jack was still looking rather shocked, so Ianto did the first thing that came to mind; he pulled Jack in for a kiss. Hoping to tell Jack in a way he'd understand that Ianto wasn't going anywhere, that the fact Jack thought Ianto was going to just leave him and go gallivanting around the universe was deeply offensive, that even though Jack was an idiot Ianto still loved him.

From the way Jack was clutching at him, his Captain got the message loud and clear.

A loud cough finally caught their attention, and they slowly parted. Ianto was rather pleased with himself to see that Jack was smiling, no _beaming_ at him. Ianto found himself smiling in return.

"Are you sure?" Jack asked softly.

"Haven't been more certain of anything in my life," Ianto replied, just as softly.

Smiling, the relief clear on his face, Jack drew Ianto in for a bone-crushing hug. Ianto didn't mind. The Doctor was temporarily forgotten, and all he could feel was Jack: his warmth, his smell, the utter stillness that is Jack. Ianto let himself sink into the sensation of perfect calmness, just for a moment.

"Oh, stop it!"

Jack rolled his eyes at the Doctor's protest, sliding a hand around Ianto's waist and turning them both around to face the Doctor.

"The invitation's still open," the Doctor said to Ianto.

Ianto shook his head. "I belong here. At least for now." He couldn't read the Doctor's expression, but Ianto would have sworn he saw a flash of sadness crossed the other Time Lord's features. It disappeared too quickly for him to be sure.

"Did I mention that the TARDIS also travels in time?" The Doctor was looking at Ianto, and surprisingly, at Jack as well, hopeful.

"You didn't have to."

"Ianto knows everything," Jack chipped in, sounding playful, happy.

"I see." the Doctor merely raised an eyebrow and nodded. "You sure…"

"Doctor," Jack interrupted. "We're needed here for now. Come back in a few years if you're serious about the offer."

The Doctor nodded. "Right. Well then, I better get going. Planets to save, people to see and all that!" The Doctor's mood swings were enough to make Ianto's head spin, even without the headache added to the mix. "You know how to contact me if you've got any questions, are you sure you don't want to come? Just a quick spin around the solar system?"

"I'm Torchwood, Doctor. I know there's never such a thing as a 'quick spin' when it comes to you."

Jack laughed at Ianto's response. "He's right you know. A drive around Saturn, and the next thing you know, you're being chased by an angry mob in the middle of the French Industrial Revolution demanding your blood or something like that."

"Oi! It's not that bad!" the Doctor protested, then he looked thoughtful. "Well, maybe once or twice…"

Jack laughed again, shaking his head almost indulgently at the Doctor and keeping his arm around Ianto's waist. Ianto let himself lean into Jack a little bit more.

"Some information about what to expect with this new physiology would be helpful though," Ianto said.

"Oh right, of course!" The Doctor started patting down his coat and randomly digging through seemingly endless number of pockets. For all Ianto knew, the coat was bigger on the inside as well. Finally, the Doctor pulled something out of one of the pockets. It looked like an USB memory stick. "Idiot's Guide to Time Lord Physiology," he declared with a big smile on his face, tossing the memory stick to Ianto. "I trust neither of you would let that fall into the wrong hands." The warning was clear in the Doctor's voice.

"You have our word." Ianto promised.

The Doctor nodded. "Good. If – " Suddenly, the ground shook as the world around them did a back-flop and turned itself inside out, or at least it felt that way to Ianto.

"What the – " Jack was still holding on to Ianto, with one hand on the TARDIS to help maintain their balance. The Doctor was also holding on to the side of his ship, so maybe the ground did moved.

The sight around Cardiff Bay and Roald Dahl Plass was changing as they watched, the Millennium Centre, the water tower, cafes, shops, all disappeared and the entire area reverted back into the run-down dock that it once was.

"Oh, not good. This is not good," the Doctor muttered.

"You think?" Jack retorted.

Not bothering to reply, the Doctor dashed back into the TARDIS. Ianto was once again dragged into the ship, this time by Jack, who was hot on the Doctor's heels.

* * *

By the time Jack and Ianto were in the TARDIS, the Doctor was already running around the central console pressing various buttons and pulling various leavers, muttering a litany of "No, no, no, not possible!" as he worked.

Jack flipped opened his wrist-comp and did some scanning of his own. If what he suspected had happened was true, then they were in a whole world of trouble. Rushing towards the display where the Doctor had already called up sensor readings, Jack double-checked their findings.

"Who has the power to do something like that?"

"I don't know." The Doctor shook his head, running both his hands through his hair. "But whoever they are, they knew exactly what they're doing."

"Jack?"

At the sound of his name, Jack turned around to find Ianto looking at him with a questioning expression.

"History's been changed," Jack said before turning back to look at the TARDIS's display frowning. "That's not possible!"

"Considering what just happened, I wouldn't say not possible, highly un-probable maybe, but there it is," the Doctor said. "The last hundred and fifty years has been completely re-written."

"If history's been re-written, why aren't we affected?" Ianto asked.

"We were standing close enough to the TARDIS when it happened, her temporal shield protected us from the effects of it."

"It was pure luck. If we'd been back at the Hub…" Jack trailed off. There was no need for him to finish the sentence. All of them knew they would probably have vanished along with the Plass if they had been even just a few more feet further away from the TARDIS. "And if these readings are accurate, then the Hub's gone. As a matter of fact, there's no such thing as Torchwood."

"Or UNIT for that matter," the Doctor added, poking at more random buttons. He called up other readings on the display and read through them too fast for Jack to follow.

Ianto came and stood beside Jack, peering over his shoulder to look at the display as well. "We're on our own on this one then? Wait a minute, this is saying none of us exists."

Jack wasn't sure how Ianto could read the various results and readouts scrolling by at lightning speed, but he guessed it would have something to do with his Time Lord physiology.

The Doctor yanked the display around so he could have a better view of it. "Not in this timeline, no."

Jack left him to fiddle with the TARDIS's scanners and instead focused his attention on his wrist-comp. The TARDIS's computer had already told them the timeline was changed 150 years ago. What they needed now was to figure out the who, what, and why, and part of the 'why' was really close by, if the readings on his wrist-comp was accurate.

"Doctor." Jack did not want to believe what he was seeing, but while his wrist-comp was not as powerful as the TARDIS's scanners and computers, it was accurate, especially when it came to temporal computing. "Are you getting the same reading that I am?"

When the Doctor raised his head from the display and looked at Ianto, Jack knew they had come to the same conclusion.

* * *

Ianto was getting a little unnerved from the way Jack and the Doctor were staring at him, like he held all the answers to their current situation. "What?"

It was as though Ianto's question broke some spell the other two were under. The Doctor sprung into action. He abandoned his position at the console, producing his sonic-screwdriver from apparently thin air and pointed it at Ianto.

"Doctor?"

Whatever question it was Jack had asked, the nod he got in reply from the Doctor seemed to have answered it.

"Would either one of you care to tell me just what is it you found out?"

"Ianto," Jack started, and Ianto didn't like the tone of Jack's voice at all.

"You're going to tell me I have something to do with this, aren't you?" Ianto asked.

"Oh, he's quick. Real quick. Shouldn't be surprising considering his heritage. Time Lord brain and all that."

Ianto ignored the Doctor, hoping that Jack was going to say "no", that whatever had happened wasn't related to Ianto. Of course, nothing in his life could be that easy.

"Whatever's going on right now, you're in the centre of it," the Doctor finished.

Taking a deep breath, Ianto wished he hadn't decided to tidy up his flat three days ago – was it only three days? It had felt longer – wished he hadn't dropped the stupid pocket watch and started all this. "I'm assuming in order to figure out how to fix the timeline, we need to figure out how I'm connected to it."

"If these readings are correct," the Doctor was looking directly at Ianto, "someone had just tried to wipe you from existence, and they almost succeeded, too. If I hadn't been here, if we hadn't been standing just inside the TARDIS's shields, Ianto Jones would never have existed. As for why, have you noticed anything strange happening around you lately? Anything unusual, out of the ordinary? Anything at all?"

Ianto merely stared at the Doctor, noticing out of the corner of his eye that Jack aimed a similar incredulous look at the Doctor.

"Right." The Doctor blinked, as if he had only realised what he just asked and whom he'd asked. "Stupid question."

Jack raised an eyebrow, clearly amused despite their current circumstances. "I don't think it's a coincidence that this happened just when we discovered that Ianto's a Time Lord."

Shaking his head, Ianto had to agree with Jack. He had been working at Torchwood for far too long to believe in coincidences. "But why me? Other than almost suffering from sensory overload, I haven't done anything."

"Are you sure?"

"Doc, it's been less than three days since it happened and you were both holed up in the Hub for the last two days. On the other hand," Jack turned his attention back to Ianto, "it doesn't rule out the possibility that it might be something you were _going_ to do."

"Someone has gone back in time to attempt to wipe me from existence because of something I haven't done." The idea sounded ludicrous to Ianto, however, he was used to thinking like a 21st century human, and what little he knew of temporal mechanics was enough to make his brain hurt.

"Something you haven't done _yet_. Mustn't forget the 'yet'!" The Doctor corrected.

"Right. Someone has gone back in time to attempt to wipe me from existence because of something I haven't done _yet_." And it seemed like Ianto's newly found Time Lord brain wasn't really any better in dealing with it either.

"Don't you just love time-travel?"

Ianto glared at Jack.

"No."

* * *

The TARDIS was drifting aimlessly in the time vortex. It had been too dangerous to stay on Earth, not knowing who or what they were up against. They couldn't risk getting detected. Jack swore under his breath as his wrist-comp once again beeped an error message at him. The Doctor was still fiddling with various readings and controls around the central console frowning at the lack of results. Ianto was leaning against one of the columns, watching Jack and the Doctor, looking a little lost.

"It's not as simple as going back 150 years and find out what happened," the Doctor explained. "When I said history changed, I didn't mean just Earth's history, but the history of the entire universe had been changed. Granted, the impact of the change seemed more prominent on Earth, but that's not where it originated."

"Then where was its origin?" Ianto asked.

"That's the problem," Jack answered, giving up trying to coax some non-existing answer out of his wrist-comp. "We have no idea. And if we go charging in blindly, whomever that did this might realised they've failed and we would've lost our element of surprise.

"We've got nothing, then," Ianto said.

"I wouldn't say we have nothing, I mean, we know when history was changed, we know it's related to Ianto, and we've got the TARDIS!" The Doctor looked up, a huge, but rather fake looking smile on his face.

"Right," intoned Ianto. "We've got nothing."

The smile dropped from the Doctor's face and he stared ruefully at the monitor, poking at more seemingly random buttons and turning a few knobs here and there.

The Doctor gave a frustrated growl, this time _glaring_ at the monitor as he ran both hands through his hair. "How is this possible? There're only so many people out there capable of doing something like this but none of the scans are picking anything up! How is it possible?"

Jack moved to stand beside the Doctor, looking at the monitor as well when the screen suddenly flickered and went dark.

"What? Nononono…" Jack got out of the way as the Doctor flipped various switched and turned various knobs with more force than necessary, trying to get the screen back online. "This isn't supposed to happen! You're not suppose to die on me when I need you to figure out what the hell's going on!"

Reaching over, the Doctor grabbed the mallet and started banging on various consoles, making Jack wince. Almost half a dozen loud bangs later, the screen blinked back to life.

"Good!" The Doctor stared at it in satisfaction. "And let's make sure you stay on!"

The screen was showing the same readings as far as Jack could tell, but the Doctor was looking at it like there was something new, leaning in so close the tip of his nose touched the surface of the display. Absently, the Doctor reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his glasses, putting them on as he continued to stare at the screen.

"Oh, hello. What do we have here…"

Jack looked over at Ianto, who was looking at the Doctor with an expression Jack had never seen before. Sort of half amused, half befuddled, and a whole lot of frustration; Jack had to admit he could relate.

"What is it?" Ianto asked.

Jack turned his attention back to the readings, looking at the information the Doctor was scrutinising. He frowned. "Is that an echo?"

"Looks like it," the Doctor mumbled his reply, nose still almost plastered to the display surface.

"But it's too strong," Jack unconsciously copied the Doctor's posture and leaned in closer to get a better look at the signal.

"I know. Interesting."

"What did you find?" Ianto demanded. There was a definite sense of frustration in his voice. Someone who didn't know him wouldn't have picked up the subtle difference, but Jack had made it his business to learn Ianto's tells.

"The TARDIS's sensors are picking up what seemed like an echo, but the signal's too strong," Jack explained, shaking his head in confusion.

"An echo of what?"

"Of time," the Doctor replied.

Ianto let out an exasperated sigh.

"We're picking up our own signal," Jack explained. He knew that sigh, and he wasn't stupid enough to risk the consequences. "It's like when you yell across a valley or in an empty room, you'll hear your own voice echoing back, only with the TARDIS, it's an echo through time. Like an echo, this signal should be weaker, fainter, but it's not. It's as strong, almost like…" Jack trailed off. It wasn't possible that there was a second TARDIS out there, was it?

The Doctor stood straight, eyes still on the display but Jack knew the Time Lord was no longer looking at the readings. "Like there's another TARDIS out there."

"Doctor?"

"Not just any other TARDIS," the Doctor turned to look at Jack.

Jack's heart rate speed up, and he felt his breath caught at his throat when he saw the Doctor's expression.

"My TARDIS."

* * *

It didn't take Ianto long to catch the implication of what the Doctor said. He might've only been a Time Lord for three days, but Ianto was far from stupid. Leaning back against the railing, Ianto felt the cold metal bar digging into his back. He wished that there was a chair because he really needed to sit down and take a break.

He could hear Jack questioning the Doctor, double, triple checking the readings, but Ianto's brain really wasn't registering any of the details; the only clear thought in his head was a litany 'Oh God, oh God, he tried to wipe me from existence!' and a sense of growing horror over the possibilities of what he must have done in the future. Something so terrible for the Doctor to even consider altering history on such a grand scale just to get rid of him.

What did he do? What was he _going_ to do? He pushed the veil aside in his mind, once again seeing the branches and splits in the river, endless possibilities. Ianto tried to follow them, but it was impossible to see them all –

_Him and Jack, lying on a beach as they watched the sunset and the twin moon slowly appearing; the sound of automatic weapons as he and Gwen shot at the Daleks infiltrating the Hub, buying time for Jack; in the TARDIS, handling controls like he knew what he was doing, a dark-haired girl by his side, chasing after Jack who was in trouble, Jack, always Jack; cries, explosions, fire, ice, stars, endless night, stretching into infinity…_

Ianto couldn't see what he could have possibly done, couldn't see anything at all – never ending, always moving, changing with every single action in the present, constantly in flux, Jack, always Jack by his side….

"Ianto!"

Jack's yell snapped Ianto out of his thoughts. He looked up at Jack, surprised to find he was sitting on the metal flooring of the TARDIS.

"What happened?" Jack asked, concern clear.

Ianto shook his head. "I…"

"Ianto?"

Ianto closed his eyes in an attempt to clear his mind; when he opened his eyes again, he looked past Jack's shoulder, meeting the Doctor's gaze.

"No," the Doctor said, shaking his head in vehement denial, knowing what Ianto was thinking even before he said anything. All of them knew what the signal meant, there really was no need to vocalise it. "Not possible."

"How can you be sure?" Ianto asked, his voice quiet as he stood up.

"Because I am!" the Doctor almost yelled.

Jack was looking at the both of them, a hand still on Ianto's shoulder, grounding him to the present.

"He's right, Ianto," Jack said. "The Doctor wouldn't do something like that."

"Then how would explain the other TARDIS? Who else would be able to pilot it? Who else has the capability to do so?"

"It's not me!" The Doctor denied. "I wouldn't go about changing over a hundred years of history to wipe someone out of existence! Especially not you!"

"Won't you?" Ianto asked, sounding much calmer than he felt. "Not even for the greater good of the universe?"

The Doctor was looking at Ianto with a pained expression. Ianto's words seemed to have exhausted the Doctor as he stumbled backwards and sank onto the pilot's seat.

When the Doctor spoke, his voice was soft and weary. "Only the two of us left now. Greater good of the universe. Gallifrey's gone because it was for the Greater Good of the Universe. And where did that leave us? The Dalek still managed to escape, the Game Station, Canary Wharf, still happened. What Greater Good?"

The Doctor turned to look at Ianto. "So, no. Not even for the Greater Good of the Universe," he said, voice low and with a conviction so strong that Ianto had no choice but to believe him.

"So," Jack said, pulling Ianto close to him. "Who's in the driver's seat then if not you?"

The Doctor's mood took a 180 degree turn and he flashed them a manic grin – a sight that Ianto was getting familiar with – and yanked a couple of leavers. "Why don't we find out?"

 

Tracking down the other TARDIS was a tricky business. It was like chasing their own shadow, always there, yet not quite tangible.

"Do you have to leave it there?" Jack asked, almost tripping over the jar for the tenth time trying to get to another section of the central console.

The Doctor looked up from the control he was fiddling with. "What?"

"Your hand," Jack replied. "Sooner or later, I'm gonna trip over it and break the jar."

"Oh, right. Uh… I'll just – " The Doctor picked up the jar and moved it underneath the driver's seat.

"That's your hand?" Ianto asked, looking at the Doctor, then back at Jack.

"Yes!" The Doctor seemed excited to be talking about his hand in the jar.

"You're able to grow extra limbs?"

"Well, not exactly. Only when you have enough regeneration energy. I guess I haven't really explained it all to you, have I? You see, we Time Lords have this – "

"Doctor?" Jack cut in, knowing if he didn't the Doctor would spend the next _month_ telling Ianto about regeneration and all sorts of tricks the Time Lords could do. "This might not be the best time for a lecture."

"Right. Remind me to tell you all about it after we save the timeline." And then the Doctor was back to barking out orders and instructions to Jack and Ianto – press this, hold that, hit this with the mallet, kick that bit, no not this bit, _that_ bit! – as they hurtled through the time vortex.

It seemed like forever when the TARDIS finally shuddered to a halt, having arrived in God only knows where and when.

Without waiting for either of them, the Doctor rushed down the ramp, threw the TARDIS door open and disappeared through it.

"Come on, Ianto," Jack followed the Doctor's path, and came to a sudden stop just outside the TARDIS, almost running straight into the Doctor's back.

They were in some sort of a supply closet, a particularly large closet since there was enough space for three grown men and the TARDIS to stand between shelves full of cleaning supplies. The Doctor was fiddling with a scanning device, aiming it at seemingly random spots.

"I doubt what we're looking for will be in here," Jack said in a whisper.

"Why are you whispering?" The Doctor asked, also in a whisper.

"I don't know, seemed like the thing to do in a closet," Jack replied.

There was just enough light from the TARDIS and the Doctor's scanning equipment for Jack to see Ianto rolling his eyes at them. Before Jack could stop him, Ianto twisted the door knob right next to Jack and opened the closet door.

The sudden bright light from the hallway beyond almost blinded Jack. He lifted a hand to shield his eyes as they adjusted to the brightness.

"Well, we're not going to stay in here all day, are we?" Ianto said and he stepped outside, not waiting for a reply from Jack or the Doctor.

Jack frowned as he quickly followed Ianto out. "Careful, we have no idea where or when we are!" Jack hissed a warning to the normally cautious Ianto, knowing that the stress from the last few days was starting to take its toll on the younger man.

The hallway was white and deserted, much to Jack's relief, lights coming from the ceiling as well as a handful of windows evenly spaced along the corridor. They were above ground then. The Doctor had already plastered his face against the closest window, looking out to –

"Is this New Earth?" Jack said, taking in the vaguely familiar cityscape visible from the window. It had been a while since he was here.

The Doctor nodded. "And judging from the architecture and landscape, I'd say we're in around the year five-billion and a hundred or so."

"Year five billion?" Ianto asked, joining Jack and the Doctor at the window.

"Yep, five billion and a hundred. Give or take a few decades. We're on New Earth, and the city you're looking at in the distance is New New York. Judging from our position, I'm thinking we're in the hospital. It even smells like the hospital," the Doctor explained, sniffing the air around him.

"New Earth? What happened to the original then?" Ianto asked.

"Blew up," Jack answered. "Actually, more like it got swallowed by the sun."

"Right, of course." Ianto nodded, looking back out at the city, seemingly a little lost. Jack gave in to his impulse and put his arm around Ianto's shoulder, drawing the younger man towards him, holding him close. Ianto didn't resist, he simply leaned into Jack's embrace, watching as car like ships fly between the city and the hospital.

"Doc," Jack began, knowing the Doctor was not going to like his plan. "I think you better sit this one out."

"What?" Jack had to wonder if Time Lords suffered from whiplash; the speed at which the Doctor turned his head was enough to break someone's neck. "What do you mean I better sit this one out?"

Jack reluctantly let go of Ianto, turning his full attention to the Doctor and taking a deep breath. It wouldn't be easy trying to convince the Doctor. "It's your TARDIS, even if you're not the one driving it, you're involved. A future version of you, and I don't think you need me to tell you about the consequences of meddling in your own timeline."

"And sending you to meddle with my timeline is perfectly acceptable then?" the Doctor snapped.

"Better than bumping into your future self and creating a paradox, yes!" Jack didn't dare raise his voice, not wanting to attract any unwanted attention in case anyone could hear them.

"I have plenty of experience in avoiding paradoxes, I don't need a babysitter."

"No, just a friend who's trying to make sure you're not taking any unnecessary risks." Jack knew he'd always let the Doctor take the lead when they travelled together, playing the sidekick and he had always been happy to do so, but this time was different. They had no idea who or what they were up against, and if they had the TARDIS, then it was likely that the Doctor was already compromised. To add another version of the Doctor, a _younger_ version of the Doctor into the mix was just a catastrophe waiting to happen. Also since history was re-written, no one on Earth even knew Jack and Ianto existed, if they failed, no one was going to come looking for them.

"I can fight my own battles," the Doctor said, and Jack knew he wouldn't back down. The Doctor never backed down; it was the same reason why Jack loved him.

"But this isn't your battle," Ianto said from beside Jack. "It's mine. And Jack's right. We have no idea who we're facing, and you getting involved directly might make things worse. Besides, putting all our eggs in one basket probably isn't a good idea under the circumstances," Ianto explained calmly. His smart and handsome Ianto had figured out Jack's plan without Jack having said a word. "If Jack and I fail, you're the only one who has knowledge of what happened, who can put things right."

The Doctor still didn't look happy, but something in his eyes told Jack he was thinking about it.

"Look at it this way, we're the reconnaissance, you're – "

"The backup?" The Doctor asked.

Jack shrugged and grinned. "I was thinking more along the lines of a general directing his troops, but whatever works for you."

"I'm not in the habit of sending people out to face who knows what while I stay behind and do nothing."

"Doctor, Jack and I can handle ourselves, and you aren't actually staying back doing nothing," Ianto said.

"And what exactly would I be doing while the both of you lurk about the hospital, please do tell."

"Gathering intelligence."

"So that's what the youngsters are calling it nowadays, gathering intelligence. I can gather my own intelligence, thank you very much. As a matter of fact, I've been gathering my own intelligence since before either of you were born."

Jack let out a sigh; they were wasting time and this was going nowhere. "Stop being unreasonable. We're right and you know it! I am _this_ close to knocking you unconscious and handcuffing you to the TARDIS, and don't think I won't."

The Doctor blinked at Jack, surprised. To be completely honest, Jack had surprised himself. While the Doctor and him had had their differences, this was the first time Jack had stood up to him instead of trying to justify his actions, he was treating the Doctor as an equal instead of a superior; the prospect of having the Doctor as an equal terrified him just a little.

"Well," the Doctor started. He suddenly smiled at Jack, looking almost… proud. "If you feel _that_ strongly about it."

"Well, good," Jack said lamely, mentally wincing at his reply.

"Do you still have Martha's mobile?" Ianto cut in smoothly.

The Doctor dug a mobile phone out from one of his numerous coat pockets. "Yes."

"Keep it on," Jack said. "I'll keep a line open from my wrist-com in case anything happens."

* * *

Ianto had to stop himself from staring at the cat nuns and various other alien species as they walked through the hospital, heading towards where Jack thought the information desk might be. Intellectually he knew there were aliens out here among the stars, hell, he himself was one as it turned out. But seeing the occasional extraterrestrial life forms who ended up on Earth and seeing them mingling and interacting with each other, with other humans, that was something else.  
  
"Come on." Jack jogged up to Ianto from where he was speaking to one of the cat nurses, who Ianto could've sworn giggled as she walked away from Jack. "This way."  
  
Ianto followed Jack towards a corridor next to the lifts. At the end there was a door marked "Emergency Exit" in English as well as a few other different languages. Ianto kept an eye out as Jack fiddled with his wrist-com. So far no one was paying them any attention.  
  
There was a soft 'beep' and then Jack was dragging him through the door and into a stairway.  
  
"What did you find out?" Ianto asked, following Jack down the seemingly endless flight of stairs.  
  
"No one here by the name of The Doctor, but there is one John Smith on the 78th floor, accompanied by his 'daughter'. Dying of old age, according to the Sister Joy – a rather unusual name for a nun if you ask me. Nothing much they could do other than make him comfortable," Jack said, jumping down step after step. "And speaking of unusual names, John Smith just happened to be one of them in this time."  
  
"And why are we heading down if this John Smith is upstairs?"  
  
"Because this is where the other TARDIS is parked." They finally reached the bottom of the stairwell and Jack pulled open the door to reveal a network of pipes and tunnels. "I've been trying to scan for it with my wrist-com, but I couldn't be sure whether the reading I was getting was from our TARDIS or this other. Now that I know he's here… "  
  
"You were able to distinguish the two," Ianto finished as they carefully made their way through the dark tunnels.  
  
"Exactly. It should be around here somewhere… Aha!" Jack exclaimed as they rounded a corner and came face to face with a blue police call box. Jack said into the wrist-com. "Doc, found it. She looks a little frail, but it's the TARDIS.  
  
"What do you mean she looks a little frail?" The Doctor's voice sounded small coming through the speaker on Jack's wrist.  
  
"I don't think it matters. We need to go in and find out what happened," Ianto said, one hand on the door of the TARDIS. He pulled but the door was locked. He turned to ask Jack, "Key?"  
  
Jack reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his bunch of keys. Ianto could identify at least half a dozen keys to various areas of the Hub on the ring. There was also Ianto's apartment key, sitting next to the TARDIS key.  
  
They key slide smoothly into the lock and with a soft click, the door opened. Stepping into the ship, Ianto wasn't sure how, but he could feel that the TARDIS was weaker, the interior lights were also dimmer, her colour duller. Jack was right; she was frail. The light seemed to brighten a little when he and Jack stepped through the door.  
  
"Do you hear that?" Ianto asked, resting a palm on the pylon on the left of the entrance ramp. A hum, so low Ianto felt it more than heard it. It made his heart ache.  
  
Jack was looking at the central column, which pulsed a dull green. "She's so sad," Jack whispered. "So alone."  
  
Jack called up the flight logs, quickly transferring the relevant files to his wrist-com. "Doc, got it. We're on our way back." Jack informed the Doctor, arranging the screen back to its original position.  
  
There was a change in the tone of the TARDIS's hum. It was like the she was trying to communicate with Ianto, as though pleading for him to stay, so that she wouldn't be a TARDIS without a Time Lord, without a purpose. Before Ianto could get his mind around what was happening, Jack's hand closed over his and gently pulled it away from the pylon. Jack turned back to look at the central column, saying a soft "I'm sorry," before he pulled Ianto out of the TARDIS and locked the door behind them.  
  
"She's sentient, isn't she?" Ianto asked, both awed and saddened by his encounter with the TARDIS.  
  
"Almost. I can't explain it. You should ask the Doctor," Jack said. "Come on, we better get back before he gets himself into trouble."  
  
"Why didn't I hear her before? When we were on the other TARDIS?" Ianto asked, following Jack back towards where they came from.  
  
"I don't know. She's sometimes a bit wary of strangers, and this is a TARDIS from our future, she might know you better by then. You can ask her yourself when we get back." Jack replied, taking the steps two or three at a time.  
  
It took them a few minutes to get back to their own TARDIS in the supply closet. The Doctor was pacing up and down when they arrived, looking anxious and restless.  
  
"Give it to me!" the Doctor demanded as soon as they stepped through the door. Jack must have anticipated the request because he'd taken off the wrist strap as he headed up the ramp, and now threw it to the Doctor in one fluid motion.  
  
The Doctor pressed a few buttons on the wrist-com and turned a few knobs on the TARDIS control. Taking out his glasses once more, he stared at the display screen with a serious expression. Not knowing what else he could do to help, Ianto closed his eyes and tried to listen for the hum of the TARDIS.  
  
If he concentrated, Ianto thought he could feel a low vibration that felt familiar, but he wasn’t sure if that was just the motors or the TARDIS herself. He tried reaching out –  
  
<i>Time Lord.</i>  
  
Ianto's eyes snapped opened. The Doctor and Jack were staring at him.  
  
"What did you do?" the Doctor asked.  
  
"Nothing," Ianto replied. "I was just… it was…"  
  
"Trying to talk to the old girl?" Jack guessed.  
  
"I was trying to see if I could hear her," Ianto finally managed. "Like the other one."  
  
"She… spoke to you?" the Doctor asked.  
  
Ianto shook his head. "No, not speak. Just this… feeling. I'm not sure if I can describe it."  
  
The Doctor nodded as if he understood what Ianto was saying, or rather, not saying. "We should get out of here before someone decides they need to unclog their drain and come looking for a plunger," the Doctor said, pulling a few leavers and flipping some buttons. "Hang on to something!"  
  
* * *  
  
They were once again drifting in the time vortex, where time was meaningless. The Doctor was still analysing the log Jack had liberated from the future TARDIS, trying to work out what had happened to alter their timeline. Jack knew he should be helping, if not with the temporal physics, then at least with doing some tinkering and maintenance around the ship. There were always loose circuits that needed fixing.  
  
Instead, he was sitting on the cold metal floor next to Ianto, their backs against the handrail. Since they left New Earth, Ianto hadn't said a word; he just sat down and watched as Jack and the Doctor argued. Finally Jack noticed Ianto's silence and gave up on the argument to sit beside him on the floor.  
  
Ianto didn't look like he was being overwhelmed by his new senses, which meant the Doctor's lessons were working, but he was still lost in his own thoughts. At least it was a look Jack was familiar with. It meant Ianto was thinking, laying the facts out in his head as he tried to find a pattern, a solution to their problem, or planning what he'd do to Jack once they saved the day.  
  
Jack honestly wasn't sure which option he preferred. On one had, crisis situation, on the other hand, naked Ianto.  
  
"Mind out of the gutter, Jack," Ianto muttered, bumping his shoulder playfully against Jack's.  
  
Jack narrowed his eyes at Ianto. "You telepathic now?"  
  
"I don't have to be telepathic to know what you're thinking."  
  
"True," Jack shrugged. "You have got to know me pretty well."  
  
"Everyone who has ever met you knew what you're thinking, Jack," Ianto smiled.  
  
Jack couldn't help noticing that Ianto looked tired, and somewhat uncertain.  
  
"Come here," Jack said, putting an arm around Ianto and drawing him closer. Ianto went willingly and relaxed against Jack. "Comfy?"  
  
Ianto nodded, face half buried in Jack's coat. Jack placed a kiss on the top of Ianto's head and just held Ianto close. He didn't know how long they sat there, on the floor of the TARDIS, Ianto asleep in his arms while Jack watched the Doctor mutter to himself and run around the central console, tweaking this and that.  
  
Jack was gently tracing the contours of Ianto's jaw when the Doctor spoke. "You love him."  
  
Jack looked up. The Doctor was perched on the edge of the pilot seat, looking at Jack thoughtfully. Jack looked back down at Ianto, feeling a wave of complex emotions rush through him at the sight. He couldn't possibly name all of what he was feeling: fondness, frustration, protectiveness, pride, fear, passion, adoration, love….  
  
"I love them all," Jack finally said quietly, not wanting to wake Ianto. "I love you," he looked up at the Doctor, not the least bit surprised to find the Time Lord looking uncomfortable at the declaration. Jack smiled as the Doctor tried not to fidget under his gaze before turning his attention back to Ianto. "I don’t deserve him," he said quietly.  
  
"I see," the Doctor said, then turned his attention back to the display screen. He changed the topic, which Jack had expected. "Right, the TARDIS's almost done with the calculations. Whoever did this was good. Creating false traces and encrypting everything, but they aren't as good as me!"  
  
Jack grinned at the Doctor. "No one's as good as you, Doc." He laughed when an uncharacteristic blush appeared on the Doctor's cheeks.  
  
* * *  
  
When Ianto woke up, Jack was still holding on to him. He was mostly comfortable but for the fact that he'd lost all feelings in his legs and his arse was freezing on the metal floor.  
  
"—once that's done, it should all be sorted." Ianto managed to catch the last bit of what the Doctor said, not quite sure what he'd missed.  
  
"Sounds complicated. Are you sure?" Ianto could feel Jack's chest rise and fall as he spoke quietly, trying not to disturb Ianto.  
  
Ianto had no idea how long he had been asleep, or when he fell asleep for that matter. His whole body felt sluggish, like it hated the idea of moving regardless of the frozen arse and numb legs. Even trying to open his eyes was proving to be a challenge; his muscles refused to move.  
  
"Is two plus two four?" the Doctor retorted.  
  
"It's not if you're from Cantaadditium."  
  
The Doctor snorted. "Oh, don't you get me started on the Cantaadditions! How a society that doesn't understand two plus two manages to build a space faring civilisation is beyond comprehension. I still think their entire species is playing a joke on the rest of the universe just to see how long they can get away with it."  
  
Jack chuckled, and Ianto felt Jack's warm hand on his cheek. "Ianto? Hate to wake you, but we need to get going."  
   
Ianto felt himself nuzzling Jack's palm, his eyes still refusing to open.  
  
"Ianto? Come on, wake up."  
  
It seemed to take all the energy he could muster, but Ianto finally managed to get his eyelids to open. He blinked up blurrily at Jack. "Hm?"  
  
Jack smiled. "You awake?"  
  
Ianto blinked again, trying to get his mouth to form actual words. "Leg's gone to sleep," he finally managed, still sounding half asleep.  
  
"Come on, let's get you back up and get the circulation going again." Jack said, hauling Ianto back up onto his feet.  
  
Ianto stumbled a little as feelings slowly started to return to his legs. He was surprised when the expected feeling of pins and needles never showed itself. <i>Not human, you're not human, things are going to be different now.</i>  
  
Some of what he was feeling must have shown, because the next thing he knew, Jack was looking at him worriedly. "You okay?" he asked gently, right hand cupping Ianto's face.  
  
Ianto nodded. "Fine. Could use a cup of coffee, but I'm fine."  He could have his existential identity crisis later; they had a timeline to fix and Ianto needed to stay focus.  
  
"So, what's the plan?"  
  
"We go back in time – " Jack said with a big smile on his face, looking like a five-year-old boy on Christmas morning.  
  
"To 1858, a hundred and fifty years from where we first came from – " the Doctor continued, just as bad as Jack.  
  
"About halfway between Pluto and Jupiter – "  
  
"Right in the middle of the path of the Donati Comet – " the Doctor was getting more animated as he and Jack outlined their plan.  
  
"Where we're gonna stop the other TARDIS from bumping into it and making it crash into another ship – " Jack made a crashing motion with his hands.  
  
"Which altered the comet's orbit so that it crashed into Earth."  
  
"And set the progress of development back another couple hundred years," Jack finished. He held his thumb and forefinger about an inch apart. "The comet came <i>this</i> close to smashing into Earth in our original time line. It was the first comet ever to be photographed in October 1858."  
  
Ianto stared at Jack and the Doctor, wondering if he was actually hearing their plan right or if his still half asleep brain had muddled things up.  
  
"A comet."  
  
Jack and the Doctor nodded.  
  
"In this time line, it crashed into Earth on 10 October 1858, wiping out almost a third of the population, almost sending the planet back into the middle ages again," the Doctor explained. "With the planet in crisis, your parents never brought you here, never brought you anywhere really, and you perished with the rest of Gallifrey, wiped from time, and never existed."  
  
"And I was never even born," Jack added. "Which is more the pity."  
  
Ianto frowned, something the Doctor said before didn't quite made sense. "But didn't you say the history of the entire universe was changed? If it was a comet slamming into Earth, how is it the rest of the universe is affected?"  
  
"Cause and effect, Ianto," Jack replied. "Donati's orbit was about two thousand years. It came a long way to be in the Sol, and it had a long way to go before it turned around and came back."  
  
"Passing by lots of different systems, ships, planets, space stations, so on and so forth. A ship originally in the comet's path now no longer has to alter its course and instead encounters some pirates who killed all the crew and took its cargo, and then sold it to some backwater planet who armed themselves and start a civil war, so on and so fort, chains of events occurring or not occurring because of the comet."  
  
"Butterfly flapping its wings in the rainforest," Ianto muttered, finally understanding.  
  
"Exactly!" The Doctor exclaimed. "It's a brilliant plan really, natural disaster, no one would've taken a second glace at the event. After all, comets and asteroids crash into planets everyday. This one wouldn't be any different. The timing's brilliant as well, not so close to your time that it'd cause suspicion, but close enough that the effects could still be felt. Perfect plan to get away with murder, but not perfect enough!"  
  
"Right, so we need to make sure the comet goes on its original path, and find out who's behind the wheels of the other TARDIS." Ianto summarised, looking at Jack and the Doctor. Ianto grinned, the excitement of finally having a plan melting away the last trace of sleep from him. "Let's set history straight, shall we?"  
  
* * *  
  
Jack marvelled at the simplicity of their plan: let the other TARDIS do what it did; appear a moment after it departed; and used the tractor beam to drag the comet back onto it's original path. Of course, since this was Doctor, the plan went out of the window the moment the TARDIS rematerialised – right next to the other TARDIS, in the process of dragging the comet off course.  
  
The Doctor's wide-eyed look of panic would've been funny if not for the fact that they just narrowly escaped crashing into the other TARDIS. Jack was too busy holding on for dear life as the Doctor hit the emergency breaks to appreciate the humour in the situation.  
  
Jack was sure whoever was flying the other TARDIS knew they were here – because no-one misses almost getting smashed into smithereens – but it showed no sign of stopping.  
  
"Oh, she's got balls, I'll give her that," Jack commented.  
  
"She? You know something I don't?" the Doctor asked, trying to stabilise the TARDIS's flight path.  
  
"Tell you about it later when you're not trying to get us all killed!" Jack said, trying to increase the efficiency of the inertial dampeners so as to not get thrown around so much by the Doctor's crazy driving. Ianto really shouldn't complain about Jack's driving, because compared to the Doctor, his driving skills were positively <i>tame</i>.  
  
Ianto was grabbing onto any bits of the central console, trying not to fall over while keeping an eye out on the sensor reading at the same time. "The comet's still being dragged off course."  
  
"Leave that to me," the Doctor said, their ride having calmed down a little after he hit a few buttons and Jack threw the switch that sent the dampeners into overdrive. "Jack, make sure we stay on course."  
  
"Got it," Jack said, smoothly taking over the controls from the Doctor.  
  
"I'll need to – " the Doctor opened up one of the panels beneath the control and ducked underneath it, the clinks and clangs coming from underneath drowning out his words. " – it should temporarily disable the tractor beam. Give me the – "  
  
"What?" Jack asked.  
  
"Hydro spanner!" Came the shout from underneath the control.  
  
Jack grabbed the tool in question and dropped it into the Doctor's blindingly waving hand. More clinks and clangs could be heard from underneath the controls, along with the occasional whine of the sonic-screwdriver. A few minutes later, the Doctor emerged with the spanner in one hand, sonic-screwdriver in his mouth, and a smudge of engine grease on his left cheek. He dropped the spanner back into the toolbox, pocketed the sonic-screwdriver and started fiddling with the TARDIS's transmitters controls.  
  
"Jack," the Doctor said. "<i>Precisely</i> twenty-three point zero-eight degrees starboard on my mark. Ianto, let me know when the reading on the top left corner hits ninety-seven."  
  
"What are we doing?" Ianto was looking at the displayed readings even as he asked the question. Jack wanted to know the answer to that as well, even though he had a hunch as to what the Doctor was attempting to do.  
  
"We," the Doctor started, excited, "are going to disrupt the tractor beam on the other TARDIS by transmitting a remote signal to disable the tractor beam."  
  
Jack frowned. That wasn't the plan he thought the Doctor was coming up with. "Wouldn't it make more sense to use a repulsor beam?"  
  
"Reading's at ninety," Ianto said, and Jack punched the specified coordinates into the navigation controls.  
  
The Doctor shook his head. "It's the same TARDIS, Jack. Equal strength. If we use a repulsor beam, we'd all be stuck here until one of us runs out of power, and I'm not even sure when that would be. I can transmit this remote signal to the other TARDIS, chances are, I'm not the one driving it, and whoever it is won't know what happen until it's too late. But it has to be under the exact conditions I specified or it won't work."  
  
"Ninety-five," Ianto said. "Ninety-six."  
  
"Mark!" the Doctor ordered and Jack hit the lever that sent the TARDIS spinning starboard at precisely twenty-three point zero-eight degrees.  
  
"Ninety-seven!"  
  
At Ianto's announcement, the Doctor hit a button.  
  
Sparks erupted around them and the TARDIS shuddered underneath their feet. Jack could feel the modifications he made to the inertial dampeners giving way, until it finally went offline completely and they were back to being thrown about the TARDIS as more sparks flew. The steering also got a lot harder as the stabilisers went offline; it was like flying a jumbo jet without power steering, only a hundred times worse.    
  
"Come on, come on!" The Doctor was still twisting various controls. "Jack, keep her steady! We're drifting away!"  
  
"I'm trying! It wouldn't be this hard if you stop being cheap and replaced the inductor stabilisation unit!" Jack snapped, ducking his head to avoid another shower of sparks. "  
  
"Ianto!" The younger man appeared by his side almost instantaneously. "Hold this as steady as you can, use both hands if you need to, just make sure it stays between these two lines," Jack pointed at the markings on the control leaver, and Ianto nodded his understanding. "I'm gonna try getting the stabiliser back online."  
  
Jack had to duck to avoid another spark but managed to get to the stabiliser a couple feet away from the Doctor. He opened up the metal grille on the floor and stuck his head to inspect the unit. "Circuit's completely fried. Give me your sonic-screwdriver."  
  
"Busy!" the Doctor yelled back, and then to the TARDIS. "Oh, come on, work!"  
  
Jack scrambled back up to his feet to the Doctor's side and slid his hand into the Doctor's coat pocket.  
  
"Oi!" the Doctor protested but was too busy adjusting frequencies and such with both his hands to stop Jack.  
  
"Need the sonic-screwdriver!" Jack's hand felt around for the familiar cylindrical shape of the device.  
  
"Oi!" the Doctor protested once more, almost jumping back when Jack's hand brushed across his chest through the coat pocket in his attempt to find the screwdriver. "That's <i>not</i> the sonic-screwdriver!"  
  
"Don't blame me when your pocket's bigger on the inside as well!" Jack smirked, finally finding the screwdriver – among what felt like candies, coins, and he was sure there were a couple of toothbrushes in there as well – and yanked it out of the Doctor's pocket, diving back towards the hole in the floor to attempt repairs.  
  
"I'm not sure how much longer I can hold this," Jack heard Ianto say, his voice sounding strained as he battled to hold the ship as stable as possible.  
  
"Just a bit longer!" Jack yelled back, trying to bridge the circuits for the stabiliser to work. "Got it!"  
  
Jack heard a similar cry of triumphant from the Doctor before more sparks showered down upon him and his world went dark.  
  
* * *  
  
"Jack!" As soon as the Doctor took over the control Ianto was by Jack's side, pulling the other man away from the still randomly sparking machine underneath the grille. A sudden jerk of the ship almost sent Ianto falling into the uncovered hole in the floor.  
  
"How is he?" the Doctor asked.  
  
Ianto felt for a pulse around Jack's neck, relieve to find a strong and steady heartbeat beneath his fingers. While Jack couldn't stay dead, Ianto still didn't like to see Jack die. Jack was still clutching the sonic-screwdriver in his right hand, and Ianto gently took it from him, tossing it back to the Doctor.  
  
"Unconscious. And probably going to wake up with a hell of a headache," Ianto added as his left hand came away from the back of Jack's head covered with blood. Ianto pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and pressed it tight against Jack's bleeding head wound. The blood flow slowed as Ianto watched. "The comet?"  
  
The bleeding had completely stopped now, and Ianto abandoned the stained handkerchief and held onto the still unconscious Jack. The ride might be stable for now, but there is no telling when they'd get thrown against the wall again.  
  
"Back on course, but someone's not too happy about it. Hang onto something, I have a feeling the stabiliser's gonna blow again pretty soon, and the inertia dampeners aren't going to be too happy either!"  
  
No sooner than the words were out of the Doctor's mouth, the TARDIS tilted sideways, and if Ianto hadn't already been sitting down on the floor, one arm around the railing and the other holding onto Jack, Jack wouldn't have been the only one waking up with a head wound.  
  
As the Doctor predicted, the stabiliser blew again, making the already rough ride even worse as they hurled through the time vortex. <i>This must be what being in an earthquake feels like.</i>  
  
Then just as suddenly, the shuddering reduced in intensity, and the TARDIS stopped trying to toss them from one end of the ship to the other. As if on cue, Jack let out a low moan of pain.  
  
"Jack?" Ianto didn't feel safe enough to completely let go of the railing, but he loosened his grip on Jack as he felt the other man try to move.  
  
"Ianto? What happened?"  
  
"You took a bit of a tumble and hit your head," Ianto replied, letting go of Jack as he struggled to sit up.  
  
"That would explain the killer headache. Where and when are we?" Jack directed the question to the Doctor, though the central console blocked Ianto's view of the other Time Lord.  
  
The shuddering came to a complete halt, and it was only then that Ianto felt safe enough to let go of his grip of the rails. Jack was already climbing to his feet, and Ianto followed his lead, smoothing the creases out of his pants and straightening his rather rumpled suit.  
  
"Fifty-First century, no idea where," the Doctor answered. "Lost track of the other TARDIS as well, but we were right on her tail, and scans are still showing echoes, so she must be close."  
  
The Doctor flipped a few switches, took off his glasses and tucked it back into his coat pocket. "Come on, let's see if we can find her."  
  
Before Ianto could object to their complete and utter lack of plan, the Doctor was already out the door, with Jack close behind. Ianto could see where Jack's 'charge in first, think about it later fly by the seat of his pants' attitude towards some of their missions came from.  
  
Stepping out of the TARDIS, Ianto found himself once again in another supply closet. He couldn't help but wonder if the Doctor made a habit of landing in closets or if it was simply coincidence. This time though, it was bigger and there was an unmistakable hint of metal, steel and grease in the air. It smelled like a service station.  
  
"How's the head?" Ianto asked, watching as the Doctor scanned for god only knows what around them with his sonic-screwdriver.  
  
"Feels like a marching band took residence inside, but it's better than the road work crew I had when I first woke up," Jack replied with a smile and then winced. "They should be gone in a few minutes. I hope."  
  
They found the door to the closet, right behind the TARDIS, while the Doctor continued to fiddle with his screwdriver. Jack hit the control panel and the door slid open soundlessly to a badly lit corridor.  
  
The Doctor let out a frustrated growl and hit the side of the sonic-screwdriver a couple of times. "I'm picking up a signal, but I can't pin-point it!"  
  
"Let me try," Jack said, flipping the flap on his wrist-com open.  
  
Ianto left Jack and the Doctor to their search, his attention drawn to the two small pothole windows directly opposite the closet door. His breath caught in his throat when he peered out of the window to find Earth right outside: blue, green, white swirling clouds; the most beautiful thing Ianto had ever seen.  
  
"Huh," Ianto heard Jack said, but his voice sounded far away. "We're on <i>The Atlantis</i>, 8th April 5095, which means we're above Earth's orbit, and I'm possibly crossing my own timeline."  
  
"What do you mean crossing your own timeline?" the Doctor asked.  
  
"You do remember that I'm from the 51st century right?" Jack asked. "Right at this moment, there's a younger version of me running around on Earth, or possibly on this station actually. I honestly don't remember."  
  
"Fantastic." The Doctor sounded exasperated, but Ianto was still too busy staring at the planet outside to pay him much attention. That was Earth, <i>Earth</i> right outside, so close Ianto thought he could reach out and touch it. In all the time Ianto had worked for Torchwood, he'd often wondered if he'd get a chance to see the planet they protect, to really see it from space, but he never thought it was possible. Yet, here he was, in the 51st century, looking down on the planet where he grew up.  
  
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Ianto turned around to find Jack standing right next to him.  
  
Ianto nodded. It finally hit him, looking down at the blue planet. "We're really out here, aren't we?"  
  
"Yes, we are."  
  
"And this," Ianto gestured to the planet below them, to the corridor, and the closet where the TARDIS was parked, "all this was your life before Torchwood."  
  
 Jack was now looking through the pothole, an expression of longing on his face. "I used to have – I <i>have</i>," Jack corrected himself, "a cute little apartment in New Paris, overlooking the city. At the Eiffel Tower, as a matter of fact, though it looks nothing like it did in 2008. But it's still essentially the same city, very… French. Never thought I'd come this close to it again, not this soon at least."  
  
"Never mind the cute apartment, I need to know if we'll be running into the other you," the Doctor interrupted. Jack and Ianto turned their attention back to the Doctor.  
  
"I honestly have no idea, Doc. I spent quite a bit of time between 94 and 95 on Earth and in the Solar System in general, back and forth between the planets and various stations and satellites. Right at this moment, I could be on Earth, on Station 12 orbiting Jupiter, or right here on Atlantis for all I know. It has been a while, and damn, I just realised the crew would probably recognise me. Other than the hair, I don't look that much different from my younger self." Jack paused, a faraway look on his face as though he was remembering something. "Right, so that's what it was all about," he mumbled to himself, then grinned.  
  
Ianto did not like the sight of that grin. Every single time he'd seen that grin on Jack's face, they'd been either thrown out of a pub or had an old lady try to hit them with her cane and handbag. On one memorable occasion, Ianto had ended up covered in purple alien slime.  
  
"I have a plan," Jack said.  
  
Ianto frowned. His suit had needed to be incinerated because of the purple slime.  
  
* * *  
  
With Jack in the lead, they had no trouble passing through security all the way up to the central command of the station.  
  
"Jacobs! You rascal, where the hell are you?" Jack called out loudly as he strolled through central command, Ianto and the Doctor following behind him. Jack was relieved that no one else gave them a second glace. Just the Captain up to his usual antics, nothing to see.  
  
"Jacobs!" Jack called out again, louder, and was pleased to see the signature platinum blond head poking out from the station commander's office on the mezzanine level, looking for the source of commotion. A genuine smile appeared on Deion Jacobs's face as he rushed down the stairs to meet Jack. Dressed in the dark blue and purple uniform of the station, Deion looked as lithe as ever and to Jack's eyes, his thirty-eight years seemed impossibly young. Deion Jacobs had been his lover, and mentor in so many ways, always able to see through his bullshit and call him on it, keeping him honest.  
  
In less than six months, his younger self was going to wake up with two years of his memory missing, and in his rage, he'd forget everything Deion ever taught him until one night, in the middle of the London Blitz thousands of years before Jack was even born, a strange man in leather jacket and a pretty blonde in a Union Jack t-shirt reminded him of it.  
  
"Captain! Wasn't expecting you for another few weeks!" Next thing Jack knew, he was being enveloped in a full body hug and kissed within an inch of his life. God, he <i>had</i> forgotten how good a kisser Deion was.  
  
A discreet throat clearing noise behind them brought Jack back to their current situation. A quick glance at his companions made Jack realised he might be in a bit of trouble with Ianto for Deion's rather enthusiastic greeting.  
  
"What can I say? I just can't stay away!" Jack smiled and winked before he turned serious. "Deion, can we head up to your office for a chat?"  
  
Deion nodded, expression turning serious as well, waving for Jack to follow him. Jack took a look around the command centre, taking in the long forgotten sight of something that had once been as familiar to him as the back of his hands. High ceilings, bright lights coming from hidden panels illuminating the entire place; the metal stairs they were currently climbing were right at the other end of the entrance. It led to a few different conference rooms, the security office, and the office of the station commander.  
  
Deion shut his office door behind them and hit the privacy lock. Another thing Jack had forgotten: Deion had knew him really well.  
  
"I don't think we've been introduced." Deion eyed Jack's two companions and estended his hand in greeting. "Deion Jacobs, station commander."  
  
"Doctor John Smith." The Doctor shook Deion's hand. "And this is my assistant, Mr Ivan Jones."  
  
Deion shook Ianto's hand in greeting as well.  
  
"So, what can I help you with, Captain?" Deion took a seat behind his desk, all business, and careful not to use anything but Jack's rank, not knowing which name he was going by.  
  
Jack sat in one of the chairs opposite Deion and got down to business. "Can you do a life sign check?"  
  
Deion nodded, pulling out a control keyboard from underneath his desk, a holographic HUD appearing on top of the desk. He tapped in a few commands and soon enough, a detailed 3D rendering of the station was displayed on the screen, with four red dots clearly visible among the sea of blue dots all over the station. Deion cast a glance at the Doctor and Ianto before looking back at Jack, the question in his eyes clear.  
  
Jack shook his head.    
  
"Right," Deion pointed at the top end of the station. "That's us here. The other two, which I'm assuming are the people you're looking for, are here." He pointed at the other two red dots sixteen levels below them. "Need any help?"  
  
Jack grinned at Deion. "Just tell security to stay out of my way."  
  
The station commander snorted. "Don't they always?"  
  
Jack stood up, sending Deion a look at essentially said 'I'll be back in a second' and turned towards the Doctor and Ianto, ushering them towards the door. "Give me a moment with Deion," he whispered. "I need to tell him something so he wouldn't start asking the wrong questions."  
  
Once the Doctor and Ianto were on the other side of the door, Jack turned back to find an expectant looking Deion waiting for him.  
  
"Doctor John Smith?"  
  
"Believe it or not, that's really his name," Jack replied. "Deion, you know the nature of my work, I trust the Doctor and Jones with my life, and right now, we're trying to stop someone from changing history."  
  
"Guess I shouldn't mention this to you when you come back in three weeks?"  
  
"No. Not for a long time," Jack smiled sadly at Deion.  
  
Deion's blue eyes scrutinised Jack, then he reached out with his left hand, caressing Jack's cheek in a long forgotten familiar gesture. "How long has it been since <i>you</i> have been back here?"  
  
"A while. A long while." Jack took Deion's hand in his and placed a kiss on his palm. "Thank you," he said sincerely.  
  
"What for?"  
  
"Everything. Putting up with my younger obnoxious self, not asking questions you know I couldn't answer, keeping me out of trouble when you could, mostly for putting up with me." Jack smiled once more.  
  
Deion laughed and snatched his hand back.  
  
A wave of wistfulness overcame Jack, and this time he was the one pulling Deion in for a kiss. "Thank you," he whispered against Deion's lips once more.  
  
"Be careful, and I'll see you in three weeks," Deion said softly before pushing Jack out of his office. "Go catch your time-bandit. I'll make sure everyone stays out of your way."  
  
The Doctor and Ianto were waiting for him right outside Deion's office. Ianto raised an eyebrow at him when he stepped outside, but Jack ignored the look and headed down the stairs without a backward glace.  
  
* * *  
  
Jack had been uncharacteristically quiet ever since they left Jacobs's office, leading the way towards level 359 where the occupants of the other TARDIS would be. The Doctor was making up for the silence by rambling on about how he used to have a dog from the 51st century that could shoot laser out of its nose or something along those lines. It didn't quite made sense, but Ianto really wasn't paying much attention to begin with.  
  
His focus was on Jack, a quiet and sullen Jack, a side of him that Ianto didn't even know existed until months after they became intimate, until Jack trusted Ianto enough to let him see this other part of him. Ianto didn't like the view much, preferring the version of Jack with the easy smile and boisterous laugh. He'd seen too much of this quiet Jack in recent months. Granted, he himself hadn't been much better; the loss of Tosh and Owen still felt like a raw wound.  
  
They took the elevator down 16 floors, following Jack as he walked through the maze of corridors, making turns with no sign of hesitation, knowing exactly where they were heading. Even with the period great coat on, weaving his way through the crowd of people and aliens, Jack looked like he belonged here, more than he ever did back in 21st century Cardiff. It made Ianto wondered what really made Jack stayed. Torchwood was nothing compared to this, to the TARDIS.  
  
Ten minutes later, they were in front of a steel door marked 'RESTRICTED' in big, bold, red capital letters. Two guards were posted on either side of the door.  
  
"Open the door," Jack ordered.  
  
Ianto had expected the guards to refuse, or to demand their identification at least, but neither of those things happened. All they did was acknowledge Jack's order with a "Sir!", stepped aside, swipe a security card through the reader, punched in a pass-code on the keypad next to the card reader, and stood at attention as Jack waltzed through with Ianto and the Doctor following behind.  
  
No questions asked.  
  
It was yet another maze of corridors, this time with various doors marked with different section numbers. Like it was in the outer corridors, humanoid and alien life forms were walking around with computer pads and clipboards, some in lab coats, some in clothing with so many clashing colours that it almost made Ianto's eyes bleed just looking at it. They were pretty much ignored by everyone.  
  
Taking a left turn from the entrance, Jack again showed not hesitation as he made his way through the different sections. Two more left turns and three right turns later, they were in front of a door with a simple '0' written in the middle of it. There was a keypad like the one they saw before, but instead of a card reader, it had a palm scanner instead.  
  
Standing in front of the door, Jack looked at the keypad as though trying to remember something. Then he punched in a series of 12 numbers in quick succession and placed his left palm on the scanner. The device flashed blue and an indicator light by the side turned green a moment later. There was a quiet beep and the door slide opened.  
  
Ianto wasn't sure what he had expected, but it wasn't the dimly lit large storage area that was revealed. The space was as big as some of the larger warehouses on the docks of Cardiff, the entire place was filled with shelves of stuff: boxes, containers, random alien looking objects as far as the eyes could see. As soon as they crossed the threshold, the lights brightened until the entire warehouse was lit.  
  
"Doc?"  
  
The Doctor needed no further prompting. He brandished his sonic-screwdriver like it was some sort of weapon and started scanning, muttering to himself as he went.  
  
"What is this place?" Ianto asked, looking up at the almost ceiling high shelves, all arranged in perfect alphabetical order as far as he could tell from the labels that he had been able to make out.  
  
"Central storage. It's where they keep all the illegal goods confiscated from anyone who comes this way, and any abandoned research projects, faulty prototypes and such," Jack explained, walking next to Ianto was they followed the Doctor. "A bit like our archives back at the Hub, actually. Only bigger."  
  
"Much bigger," Ianto agreed.  
  
"Aha!" Ianto's attention snapped to the Doctor at the exclamation. He pointed to their right, and without waiting for either of them, the Doctor took off in a run. "This way!"  
  
Ianto almost ran straight into the Doctor's back when the other Time Lord came to a sudden halt a few twists and turns later. Taking a few steps back, Ianto could see the TARDIS not far away from them, hidden in a corner. The door was half opened, with cables and wires leading from the TARDIS to a non-descriptive black cube resting on the third tier of shelves just to Ianto's left.  
  
Before any of them could decide what to do next, the door of the TARDIS was yanked opened completely, and a young woman with long straight blonde hair in a pony tail, looking not much older than Ianto, dragged a bunch of cables out of the ship. She was so focused on her task that she didn't notice the three of them until she was a couple of steps away from the TARDIS.  
  
"What the hell have you done to my ship?" the Doctor demanded, sounding rather horrified. "And who are you?"  
  
"I… Doctor?" She stared at the Doctor. "Is that you?"  
  
"Yes, of course it's me!"  
  
"You look so different," she said.  
  
The Doctor's look of horror turned to confusion when the woman dropped the cables, rushed to the Doctor and gave him a hug that rivalled Jacobs's earlier effort with Jack, minus the kissing. She was small, the top of hear head barely reached the Doctor's chest. Then just as suddenly, she released the Doctor and turned to face Ianto.  
  
Ianto was taken aback by the level of anger and hate in the woman's gaze, completely directed on him.  
  
"You! Ianto Jones," she hissed, and before today, Ianto could've sworn his name couldn't be hissed. "None of this would've happened if it weren't for you!"  
  
"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about, Miss," Ianto replied calmly.  
  
"Hey, you were the one who tried to kill him, not the other way round!" Jack snapped, moving to stand closer to Ianto.  
  
"Yes," the Doctor nodded. "The trying to erase Ianto from existence thing, what was that all about? And who are you? And what did you do to my ship?"  
  
She took a step back from them, turning to look sadly at the Doctor. "I was trying to save your life."  
  
"What? By killing Ianto?" the Doctor asked in disbelief. "What's that supposed to accomplish?"  
  
"None of it would've happened if you hadn't met him." The woman was still addressing the Doctor, still not making sense as far as Ianto was concerned. "If Ianto Jones hadn't existed, you wouldn't have…" Tears were forming in her eyes as she trailed off. "Now you're <i>dying</i> because of him, and I can't let that happen!"  
  
Ianto saw her grab something from underneath her jacket, then there was a strange whine and he found himself getting really intimate with the floor, the familiar weight of Jack on top of him as something behind him crumbled. Ianto could hear a struggle going on as he tried to get Jack off him. The woman let out a heart-wrenching scream, which then dissolved into sobs, and by the time Ianto and Jack managed to get to their feet, the woman was already in the Doctor's arms, crying her eyes out.  
  
The Doctor tossed the gun-like weapon to Jack and went back holding on to the woman, looking both saddened and perplexed.  
  
"Hey, this is my sonic blaster!" Jack said. "I can't believe she just used my blaster to try to kill you!"  
  
"And I'm still not sure why," Ianto muttered, watching the Doctor trying to calm the hysterical woman.  
  
When she finally stopped crying, the Doctor took her face into his hands. "Do you trust me?" he asked. She nodded. "Then let me in."  
  
Ianto didn't know what the Doctor did to her, but her anguished features slowly turned peaceful. Unconsciously, Ianto's hand sought out Jack's and he held onto him. Jack didn't say a word.  
  
When the Doctor and the woman opened their eyes again a couple minutes later, she seemed much calmer.  
  
"Do you understand now?" the Doctor asked softly, a strange tenderness on his face.  
  
She nodded once more. "But I'm not sorry," she said, the strength behind the voice unmistakable.  
  
"No, I guess not," the Doctor replied. "You were good, I almost didn't see what you did."  
  
"Just not good enough."  
  
"And I'm glad. You have no idea how glad I am."  
  
Ianto felt awkward standing there, watching the scene before him, like he was intruding into a private moment.  
  
"I'm going to miss you."  
  
"And I'll be looking forward to meeting you properly." The Doctor smiled as the woman once again threw herself into his arms, hugging him tight before releasing him.  
  
The Doctor turned to look at Ianto and Jack. "Jack."  
  
"You've gotta be kidding me!"  
  
"Give it back."  
  
"But it was mine to begin with! And did you forget that she tried to shoot Ianto with it?"  
  
"No I haven't, but she's not going to try that again, are you?"  
  
The woman glared at Jack and Ianto. "No," she said reluctantly.  
  
Ianto knew Jack was glaring right back at her, still holding on to Ianto's hand, his grip so tight it was actually starting to hurt.  
  
"Jaaaaack."  
  
"Fine." Jack finally relented, but instead of giving the blaster back to the woman, he threw it to the Doctor, who passed it to her.  
  
She carefully tucked the weapon back underneath her jacket, giving the Doctor one last look before turning and heading back into the TARDIS. A minute later, all the wires that were connected to the TARDIS came flying out the door and the door slammed shut. Ianto felt the air around him begin to stir, the sound of the dematerialising TARDIS filling the warehouse.  
  
* * *  
  
To say that Jack was furious with the Doctor would be understating it. That woman had just tried to re-write history and kill his Ianto – in fact she <i>did</i> re-wrote history until they went back in time and stopped her – and the Doctor let her walk away. The once familiar urge to punch the Doctor was now back in full force.  
  
Jack gave in to it.  
  
"Ow!" The Doctor cradled his jaw, wincing in pain. "If you wanted the blaster that badly, you should've said so!"  
  
"This isn't about the blaster and you know it!" If it weren't for Ianto physically holding him back, Jack would've hit the Doctor again.  
  
"And what were you going to do? Kill her?" the Doctor challenged. "That's what you do now, isn't it? Torchwood, shoot first, ask questions never."  
  
"This has nothing to do with Torchwood. What I want from her are <i>answers</i>. She just tried to kill Ianto and I want to know why!" Jack glared at the Doctor, shrugging off Ianto's grip on him.  
  
"She's from the future. Our future. You know better than to try to get the full story from her."  
  
"I. Don't. Care!" Jack hissed. "She almost killed Ianto with <i>my own gun</i>. Causality can go fuck itself."  
  
"Jack, I'm fine." Jack felt Ianto's hand on his back and whirled around to face the younger man, breathing hard from the rage, and fear. "I'm fine," Ianto repeated.  
  
Jack grabbed Ianto and pulled him into a tight hug, a hand cupping the back of Ianto's head. Jack dove in for a kiss, needing to reassure himself that yes, Ianto was indeed all right, that he hadn't been evaporated by the sonic blaster. Jack was sure even Time Lords weren't able to regenerate from that. Ianto kissed him back, telling Jack without words that he was all right, that he was here, that he was always going to be here, right next to Jack.  
  
The Doctor, wisely, didn't say anything.  
  
"Almost lost you today," Jack murmured against Ianto's lips. "I can't… not you, not after…."  
  
"I know," Ianto murmured back. "But it didn't happen. I'm here."  
  
Jack rested their foreheads together. He let out a sigh and felt the anger drained from him as Ianto held onto him.  
  
"Come on," Ianto said a moment later, reluctantly pulling away. "Let's go home."  
  
* * *  
  
<b>Epilogue</b>  
  
It had been a while since either Jack or Ianto had been to New Earth, but they'd got a message from an old friend that couldn't be ignored.  
  
Year Five-billion a hundred and forty-two. Earth had been gone for a while now, but the human race still thrived on this New Earth, essentially doing what they'd been doing since the pre-historic times: living.  
  
Ianto still remembered the fist time he set foot into this hospital, so many years ago. He'd been fascinated by all the different species of aliens, mingling freely with humans and vice versa, so new to it all that he couldn't possibly imagine the life he lead after that: filled with love, lost, laughter, sorrow; adventures that were beyond his wildest imaginations –  
  
<i>"Stop trying to shoot me every time I turn up!" the Doctor had his hands up in surrender.  
  
"Then you should stop turning up in the middle of my apartment at 3 o'clock in the morning."  
  
"Ianto?" Jack poked his head out from the kitchen. "The TARDIS's in here."  
  
Ianto glared at the Doctor. "If you broke the coffee machine…"  
  
"The coffee machine's fine! I swear I didn't break anything in there." The Doctor said to Ianto, before giving Jack a pleading look.  
  
Jack shrugged. "Don't look at me, it's his apartment you broke into."  
  
"You're enjoying this aren't you?" The Doctor asked Jack.  
  
Jack smirked. "Just a little bit." </i>  
  
~  
  
<i>Eighteen years. Eighteen years of not knowing what happened to Jack only to find him on some backwater planet trying to save some refugees like it was business as usual.  
  
"You left," the cold fury in Ianto's tone was unmistakable.  
  
"We were both angry. I thought some time apart might let us cool down and think things through." Jack paused. "I can see that you're still angry."  
  
Ianto was indeed angry, though for a completely different reason. "</i>Eighteen years<i>?"  
  
"I… got caught up with…um…stuff." Jack finished rather lamely.  
  
Ianto punched him. And then he kissed Jack. "Next time, call." </i>  
  
~  
  
<i>"I said </i>don't<i> poke it!" Jack yelled.  
  
They were running through the ruins of the Mai Shahish Temple of the Aratat System, with a creature that could only be described as a dragon hot on their tails.  
  
"You said it was harmless!" Ianto yelled back, jumping over a half crumpled stone wall.  
  
"I said it was harmless unless you poke it!" Jack was panting, but they couldn't slow down. Their ship was at least another 800 meters away and the dragon was gaining on them.  
  
They had barely slammed the door shut before the dragon let out a puff and roared a wall of fire at them.  
  
Ianto was breathing heavily, his hearts still pounding. "Next time, Jack, don't talk with your mouth full."</i>  
  
~  
  
"How is he?" Jack asked the blonde woman sitting by the Doctor's bedside. Eleanor Menzies – Elli to her friends – didn't even look up when Jack and Ianto arrived.  
  
"Still here," she replied. "Barely."  
  
Judging by her look and what the sisters had told them, it was no more than three days since Elli had tried to kill a younger version of Ianto. It had been so long ago for them, two regenerations ago for Ianto.  
  
"I'm sorry," Ianto said, his Welsh accent still present despite the years and changes in appearances. Ianto knew it was something Jack took comfort in even though Jack had never said so. No matter where or when they are, Ianto was still inherently Welsh.  
  
Elli shook her head, fighting back tears as she looked up at Jack, who still looked the same as before. "Now I know why you hated me on first sight."  
  
"I don't hate you," Jack replied softly. "Not any more. I know where you're coming from."  
  
"Do you?"  
  
"You love him so much you'd do anything for him. Yeah, I think can relate to that."  
  
"So can I," Ianto added, taking a seat beside Elli. "I don't blame you. If it weren't for me…" Ianto trailed off.  
  
"Stop blaming yourself," a gruff voice came from the bed.  
  
"Doctor?" Elli's eyes snapped to the frail figure on the hospital bed.  
  
"Ianto, Jack," the Doctor said weakly as Elli helped him sit up. "Glad you can make it."  
  
"Save your strength," Jack said.  
  
"What for? Not going to need it where I'm going." The Doctor laughed and then coughed, sagging back into the pillows.  
  
"Stop talking like that!" Elli scolded, trying to hold on to her composure.  
  
"Oh, Elli. I'm so sorry." The Doctor said, a wrinkled hand reaching out to grab Elli's. "Did I ever tell you how much you reminded me of Jenny? She was one crazy girl, claimed she was my daughter, and in the end, I guess she was. We did share the same DNA. You don't share my DNA, but the last few years, you've really been like a daughter to me. You were fantastic," the Doctor smiled. "<i>We</i> were fantastic, weren't we?"  
  
"Yes, we were."  
  
"Hey, what about us?" Jack butted in, trying to lighten the mood.  
  
"Oh, you were fantastic, too, old friend. And Ianto, you were amazingly fantastic."  
  
"But of course," Ianto smiled and took a mock bow, making the Doctor chuckle.  
  
"Elli, Ianto, can you give Jack and I a moment?" the Doctor asked. Elli nodded and they both left the room, giving the two old friends their privacy.  
  
Ianto and Elli stood outside the hospital room, the silence between them awkward.  
  
"What do you think they're talking about?" Elli finally broke the silence.  
  
Ianto shrugged. "Could be anything. They've known each other a long time."  
  
"How long? I mean, all the Doctor ever said was you were old friends. How old? I know you’re a Time Lord, like the Doctor, but Jack, he looks exactly the same. I asked the Doctor, but all he'd say was that Jack's unique."  
  
"Yeah, he is," Ianto chuckled. "I'm not sure how long Jack's known the Doctor, and when you're talking about two time travellers, things can get complicated. All I know is by the time I met Jack, he'd already known the Doctor for more than a hundred years. And if you're going by Jack's personal timeline, then they've known each other a few thousand years."  
  
"A few thousand?"  
  
"Like I said, time travel. Still makes my head hurt if I think too much about it."  
  
Another awkward pause.  
  
"He stopped me, you know," Elli said once more, looking down at the floor. "He didn't ask what happened, just showed me how he felt, how he didn't want to be alone again, ever. You were the only other Time Lord in existence; he made me see how just knowing that you were out there… "  
  
"I'm sorry, Elli. I'm really sorry. If I haven't told him about that anomaly — "  
  
"Then he would've stumbled upon it himself sooner or later." Elli shook her head sadly.  
  
"Elli – "  
  
She looked up at Ianto. "I'm not sure if I'll able to forgive you completely, but I no longer have the urge to kill you or erase you from existence."  
  
"That's definitely an improvement."  
  
"Ianto, Elli!" The tone of Jack's voice was enough to make Ianto run, Elli close behind him.  
  
Jack was holding on to the Doctor's right hand while the Doctor struggled to breathe.  
  
"I'm glad you're all here." The Doctor looked at each of them in turn, panting for breath, but his eyes were smiling. Ianto swore he could see the whole of Time and the Universe in the Doctor's eyes. "Oh, stop crying you lot. You're so depressing. I've lived long enough! Thirteen lifetimes, that's three more than I wanted! Time for some well deserved rest I say."  
  
Jack laughed out loud at that, but it wasn't a happy sound. Ianto knew that this was probably harder on Jack than any of them. He was the one who knew the Doctor longest, four incarnations of the Doctor, not to mention a couple of earlier versions he had accidentally bumped into during their time on Earth That Was. After so many years with Jack, Ianto knew there was a part of Jack that wanted to follow the Doctor; that was angry that he couldn't, no matter what.  
  
"Ianto?"  
  
"Yes, Doctor?"  
  
"Here, have this." The Doctor pulled out a set of 3 keys from his pyjama pocket. "All the keys to the TARDIS. I think I've shown all of to you before. And if the next phrase out of your mouth is 'I can't', I'm going to get out of this bed, find a large stick, and hit you with it."  
  
Ianto accepted the keys without any further comments.  
  
"Look after her."  
  
"I will," Ianto promised.  
  
"Elli?"  
  
"I'm here, Doctor."  
  
The Doctor smiled at Elli. "Go look in your backpack on the TARDIS. Left you something to remember me by."  
  
At that, Elli dissolved into sobs.  
  
"Oh, come here you big baby." The Doctor held Elli in an embrace, looking over her shoulder at Jack. Ianto could see his hold on Elli weakening, and his breathing getting more labourious. "You take care of them all, Captain, you hear me?"  
  
Jack snapped to attention and gave the Doctor a salute. "Yes, sir."  
  
As if satisfied that his world was in order, the Doctor closed his eyes and let out a final hiss of breath. Ianto watched as Elli cried even harder, moving to stand beside Jack, needing his solid and anchoring presence. Jack pulled him close, holding on to Ianto as though the universe depended on it.  
  
They held onto each other, watching in silence as the sisters tried to pry Elli away. In the distance, if Ianto concentrated enough, he could hear the whirl of the TARDIS engine, and the legendary Doctor who piloted her whooping in joy as they set off for their next great big adventure.  
  
THE END


End file.
